Reproductive Decision-Making in the Court of Protection Wednesday, 8 February 2023  5.00pm Guildhall Chambers, Bristol

SWALA invites you to a lecture to be given by Professor McGuinness on 8 February 2023 at 5.00pm. Guildhall Chambers have kindly agreed to host as both an in-person and online event. The number of in-person spaces is limited so please book early. The lecture will be followed by a panel discussion. We hope to see you there.

Over the past few years, several cases concerning decision-making and consent in pregnancy and/or birth have come before the Court of Protection of England and Wales (CoP). They have generally involved women with either intellectual or psychosocial disabilities, with decisions being made in their ‘best interests’ where they have been found to lack decision-making capacity, in accordance with the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA). Drawing on research undertaken as part of the Wellcome Trust funded BABEL Collaborative Award Professor McGuinness will explore themes that emerge from the approach to decision-making in the CoP, including issues of time, foetal interests/ value, and prospective decision-making.

Our speaker is Sheelagh McGuiness, Professor of Law and Co-Director of the Centre for Health, Law and Society at the University of Bristol Law School. She has wide ranging interests in health law with a specific focus on the regulation of reproduction. You can find out more about her research here.

The talk will be followed by a panel discussion considering practical issues that can arise in CoP cases that involve these types of decisions.

Date: Wednesday 8 February 2023

Registration: 5.00pm

Lecture: 5.10pm

Drinks: 6.00pm

Venue: Guildhall Chambers 5-8 Broad Street, Bristol BS1 2HG

RSVP – Please register with David Gardner (dga@no5.com) indicating whether you wish to attend in-person or online. Instructions for online joining will be sent to you in advance of the lecture. There is no charge for attending either in-person or online.